Christmas Eve late Shopping

Christmas Eve is upon us. It does seem to have got here quicker, this year. Perhaps this is because we had no Summer to speak of in the UK?

If you are missing some vital ingredient, then it is worth knowing that Tesco Express stores are open late this evening. Most appear to be open until 10pm Christmas Eve, but will be closed on Christmas Day.

To find out the nearest Tesco Express and other Tesco branches visit www.tesco.com/storeLocator/ and put in your address. Larger Tesco stores will close at 7pm today.

Ideal Christmas gift for the ladies!

Lush have some ideal Christmas gifts for the ladies!

There's Eyes Right mascara – in Black (£12.00) It's beautiful, simple, and gentle. And should prove of great benefit to those with even the most sensitive of eyes.  

Unlike the average 4 to 6 preservatives, this product only contains one. Which is one reason it is so easy on the eyes.

The key ingredient in Eyes Right, is wheatgrass. Why? It's packed with vitamins and minerals to condition and nourish the lashes with its antioxidant properties.

Japan and Carnauba wax help the mascara set, so it won’t smudge if you’re caught in the rain or at the gym. For those with sensitive eyes who want a kind, natural look – Eyes Right is the natural way to elongate the lashes, and for a more dramatic, emphasised effect, this can be achieved by simply applying further coats.

Fan of wheatgrass? Then the Sacred Truth Fresh facemask (£5.95), is ideal. The wheatgrass will help rid your skin of free radicals. There's also a blend of fresh papaya, full of vitamins A, B and C, and green tea powder to help cleanse the skin – great for a New Year de-tox!

To pick up this and other ethical, cruelty free cosmetics visit your nearest Lush shop.   For shop details and Lush Online please call 01202 668 545, or order at www.lush.co.uk.

Christmas pudding with lower fat and less calories? Time for a Nu Me!

Christmas pudding. It raises memories of tales from long ago, about how people really did used to boil old style silver sixepences in the pudding to bring good luck to the recipient. Or a trip to hospital should someone accidentally swallow one!

Of how brandy would be liberally poured over the pudding which would then be set alight as the blazing, burning pudding would be carried triumphantly to the dining table, the blue flames casting flickering Chrstmassy lights over the table and the guests.

And then... all of those calories!

The clever chefs at Morrisons research kitchens have come up with a tour de force, a Christmas pudding with 40% reduced fat (that's based on the fat in a standard Morrions pudding) and only 293 calories per serving.

It's part of Morrisons healthier NuMe range, and priced at a modest £0.85 for 100g, which is an individual size portion.

NuMe Christmas pudding is packed with all of the sweet and juicy fruit you expect from a Christmas pudding (including real pieces of candied citrus peel). It's lighter on the fat and the calories, but not lighter on the delicious taste.

You can boil it like a traditional pudding, or you can ping it in the microwave for under 40 seconds.

Morrisons. Shop today with prices of yesterday!

People want a good, happy Christmas. The problem is that sometimes to achieve this, we tend to overspend. Sometimes by a great deal.

However, Morrisons (there are still members of the Morrison family involved in running the business) so Morrisons understands that families want to enjoy a genuinely luxury festive spread without spending luxury prices.

So Morrisons has created the perfect collection of Christmas treats to make the season special. From fabulous starters to exciting, tasty mains to glorious deserts, Morrisons has everything you eed to ‘wow’ your dinner guests. But at a price that will delight and not shock!

 

Morrisons reckons that by following these suggestions you could save over £100!

Morrisons The Best Champagne 75cl, £14.99 (offer ends 6th January 2013)

No Christmas is complete without a glass of bubbles and what better way to toast the evening than with a glass of Lanson Black label Champagne?

Shopping trolley alternative – Lanson Black Label NV 75cl, RRP £32.99 (Morrisons saving - £18)

Dressed Lobster £10, 375g

Serving up extravagance at the dinner table has never been so affordable with this delicious dressed lobster from Morrisons. A great starter on the big day or treat for New Year’s Eve entertaining.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Marks & Spencer, Two Halves of Dressed Fresh Canadian Lobster £20, 500g (Morrisons saving - £10)

 

Free Range Goose, £9/kg

A delicious alternative to the traditional turkey, Morrisons Free Range Goose will tantalise the taste buds with its beautifully dark rich meat.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – The Ginger Pig, Goose £13.50/kg (Morrisons saving - £4.50/kg)

 

Game Pie, made with British pheasant, duck and venison £3.49, 280g

Wonderfully rich, this Game Pie takes the best of a traditional British staple and infuses it with hearty chunks of pheasant, duck and venison.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Fortnum & Masons Partridge & Pigeon Raised Game Pie £9 (Morrisons saving - £5.51)

 

Christmas Tree Smoked Salmon £2.84 / 2 for £5, 100g each

A delicious treat full of festive flavours - Morrisons Scottish salmon has been smoked over pine and spruce branches to give it the real aroma of Christmas.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Fortnum & Masons Loch Duart Somerset Cure Smoked Salmon, 200g for £15 (Morrisons saving - £10)

 

Smoked Salmon & Halibut Trio £6.99, 240g

A perfect first course to make your guests feel special, this chic seafood platter is a dinner party show stopper and bound to have them hooked in no time.

Shopping trolley alternative – Marks & Spencer, Orkney Scottish Smoked Salmon, £8.99, 200g (Morrisons saving - £2)

Duck & Truffle Pâté £7, 800g

To really make an impression at the dinner table this Christmas, present this extra special Duck and Truffle pâté as a treat.

 

Shopping trolley alternative – Harrods, Frescobaldi Porcini Muchrooms & Truffle Paté, £16.95 (Morrisons saving - £9.95)

 

Pierre Koffman’s Farmhouse Pâté £2, 170g

Created by Pierre Koffmann, head chef of Koffmann’s at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge, this Belgian made course pâté is traditional and chunky and bursting with flavour.

 

Shopping trolley alternative - Fortnum & Masons Farmhouse Pâté £6.75 (Morrisons saving - £4.75)

 

Stollen, £1.69

Morrisons award winning Stollen is freshly baked in store and will have everyone reaching for seconds this Christmas.

 

Shopping trolley alternative - Fortnum & Masons Demel Stollen in a wooden box £25 (Morrisons saving - £23.31)

 

And when Morrisons says: “Made or prepared in store” that's exactly what they mean!

Make it perfect this Christmas with Whitworth's

Lots of people are making and baking, this Christmas!

And some of us are tempted to attempt some making and baking for the very first time. 

You'll be beset with anxiety issues. How can those TV chefs make it all look so simple? So easy? Well, 20 years of constant practice does tend to make even difficult tasks look simple and easy.

And do not forget, that unless they are doing a live show (very rarely done, these days!) then the chances are you are seeing take 22 of a particular recipe!

But... OK... we have the basics down right, the cake is done, the pies baked, the biscuits are now cooling... how do you get that just right Chirstmassy look to your cooking?

If only someone would invent something! Luckily, someone already has!

Perfect for baking this Christmas, is the Whitworths For Baking Twist and Sprinkle Icing Sugar (200g).  It makes sugar dusting simple.  With a built in sieve and variable sprinkle control, this special pack is perfect for use with a festive stencil and just right for adding the finishing touches to your cakes and desserts, just sprinkle over and voila! Also, ideal sprinkled on fresh fruits!

Expect to pay upwards of £1.89 for this genuine cook's little helper!

Go nuts, bit in a Liberating way, with Tesco, this Christmas

Everyone loves to have some nuts on the table at Christmas! It's a tradition that dates back hundreds of years, perhaps more.

This year Tesco and Liberation Foods have put their thinking caps on and produced a truly delicious product that might cause a bit of a kerfuffle around the nut bowl. Well, it is if our Taste Testers were anything to go by! It was a race to see who could finish off the honey and cinnamon caramelised peanuts, the sugar coated almonds or the Brazil nuts, the cashews and the flame raisins! My own personal flavourite (sorry. Truly dreadful pun, there! was the honey and cinnamon caramelised peanuts.

Not only do these nuts taste jolly good, they are also better from a sustainability point of view, also. Liberation Foods is the Fairtrade nut company owned by farming groups in countries like: Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Incidentally, many of the nuts in the packet come from countries where Christmas is celebrated, but often in a more devoutly religious way than in the UK.

The 225g bags costs £3.00 and is worth every penny!

Castle Maclellan Pates for your Christmas table

Nearly 30 years ago Castle Maclellan began making pates in a modest way. They were sold in a local delicatessen. Eventually, however, more and more people began demanding their fine pates. Their fame spread as well as their pates spread, far and wide.

30 years on and now they are a major force in the speciality foods market not only in their native Scotland, but also throughout the rest of the UK, too.

Their products are available via high end delicatessens, major food retailers and also some farm shops, too.

Available are: Chicken Liver Pâté with Scottish heather honey, Rannoch Smoked Duck Pâté with Bramley apple jelly, Scottish Smoked Salmon Pâté, with lemon juice & horseradish, Oven Roasted Mushroom Pâté with garlic & thyme, Duck Pâté With Port,  Smoked Salmon Terrine, Chicken Pâté With Brandy.

All are delicious and have full-bodied, no nonsense flavours! There is none of the “with a hint of…” about Castle Maclellan products! If it says it contains port or brandy, then you can taste the high quality port or brandy in them. To be honest, I was wowed by the intense combination of the chicken flavour and the brandy flavour in the chicken pate with brandy.

Served on small slices of toast for your guests at a Christmas or New Year party, or served on full slices of toast for a Christmas or Boxing Day breakfast, you will find that the full flavours of the Maclellan products burst forth and will really make the meal what it should be.

But beware, your guests will always expect Castle Maclellan products to be on the table. The worrying question is: “Could you really bear to party with them and let your guests have them?” The answer from our team of taste testers was: “Only if we like our guests very much indeed!”

So, there you have it. Castle Maclellan products. Only to be served to people you know and love! But isn’t that the way? We love to serve special foods to the special people in our lives. And what could be more special than Castle Macellan, the finest of fine foods?

www.castlemaclellan.co.uk